A Journey Begins
by Aimereta Lylane
Summary: Two modern day girls end up in the middle of the War of the Ring.
1. Synopsis and Characters

Two modern girls dream of being a part of Tolkien's epic fantasy world, and they suddenly find themselves right in the middle of the War of the Ring! Using their craftiness and knowledge of the novel, they follow the Fellowship along their journey to destroy the One Ring. At the same time, they have to figure out how they'll get home… In one piece!

Sara is a teenage girl with many talents, including archery, music and sports. She is about five and a half feet tall and incredibly thin, with light brown hair and dark brown eyes. She becomes Serenity, an elf with an unknown history. As she struggles with her feelings for a member of the Fellowship, she constantly worries for her friend Kay, whose strength seems to be declining with every day.

Kay is the same age as Sara, but not too talented. Like Sara, she enjoys music, but she's no athlete! She tires easily. She's only about four feet tall with about another three or four inches to spare. Unlike Sara, she's a little plump. Her dark brown hair is rather curly, but her blue eyes are laughing and bright. She becomes Kayla, a hobbit who suddenly appears out of nowhere. She worries that their involvement in the story could change it completely. Her strength seems to be waning every day they go on, but she's determined to finish the quest to the end, even if it means giving up her life.


	2. Chapter 1

"Hurry Kay!" Sara called back to her friend. "We're gonna be late!" She kept running, but as Kay rounded the corner, she was breathing hard and stumbling a bit.

"Can't we rest for just a moment? I can't run like you!" She stopped running and leaned against the brick wall, wiping sweat off her brow. Sara shook her head.

"You have to control your breathing when you run. That's your problem!" A little farther off, they heard the loudspeaker from the arena. Sara ran back and grabbed Kay by the arm, pulling her along as she ran. When they reached the arena, Sara left to get her bow from the judges. She was competing in the Women's Archery Invitational for charity. Most of the other girls in the competition were older than her, but it didn't really matter. Arm strength and good eyes were the keys to success, not age. Kay found a seat in the crowded stands and watched as Sara strung her recurve bow. As the official walked onto the field, he made a last-minute check to make sure everything was in order. He had a microphone on his shirt, and when he turned it on, the speakers screeched and everyone in the stands covered their ears.

"Oops. Sorry 'bout that folks. Anyway, welcome to the Women's Archery Invitational for 2007. All proceeds today will go to the Breast Cancer Research fund. Girls, load your bows!" He said as the crowd cheered. He stepped out of the line of fire as the girls knocked their arrows. "Take aim!" He said. Sara raised up her bow and took careful aim, letting it fly toward the target…

Later that day…

"I still can't believe you won!" Kay cried with glee as Sara smiled.

"Yeah, well… It's going to a good cause, so I'm happy." Sara sighed. Kay cocked an eyebrow at her friend.

"You know, it's almost unnatural how good you are at archery. I'd never be that good in a million years! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were an elf in disguise!" Sara rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah right. Just because I'm good at archery? You're a little off there, Kay. Some members of the Dúnedain were exceptional archers as well. I could be one of them." She said sarcastically. Kay shook her head.

"Well, maybe you're both! The sons of Elrond wandered with the Dúnedain." She argued. Sara shrugged.

"True. I don't know… I think I'm more like a human than an elf… Now you, my dear friend, are a hobbit!" Sara said with a smile and a laugh.

"Dang straight! I don't like fighting… I'd rather just stay in my little hobbit-hole and drink tea." Both girls laughed as they opened the front door to Sara's house. As they walked up the stairs to Sara's room, Kay sighed.

"Man, I'm so glad it's the weekend. School this week was brutal!" She said, flopping down on Sara's bed. Sara shook her head and sat went over to turn on her stereo.

"Yeah. Five tests, at least an hour each night studying for them, plus band practice, plus getting ready for the archery competition! Now we get a few days of relaxation…" She said, slumping down into a beanbag cushion. She picked up her guitar and started to strum it lazily as Kay picked up a book off of Sara's desk. She put it back down when she saw a copy of The Fellowship of the Ring near it. On the front she saw a picture of Bilbo and Frodo. As Sara started to strum a familiar tune, Kay smiled and started to sing the words.

The road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began

Now far ahead the road has gone

And I must follow if I can

Pursuing it with eager feet  
Until it joins some larger way  
Where many paths and errands meet  
And whither then? I cannot say

"Haha… That's your song, huh?" Sara laughed. Kay held up the book in her hand.

"Well, I saw the picture and thought of it. And you were playing the melody." The girls laughed and Sara put down her guitar.

"You know, I feel like reading. You wanna listen?"

"Sure. I love it when you do the characters' voices." Kay said, leaning back on Sara's bed. Sara opened up to a random page.

"The chapter is the mushrooms." She said. She took a deep breath and started to read. "Ho! Ho! Ho! They began again louder. They stopped short suddenly. Frodo sprang to his feet. A long-drawn wail came down from the wind, like the cry of some evil and lonely creature. It rose and fell, and ended on a high piercing note." As Sara finished the sentence, they heard a very faint screeching noise. Sara stopped for a second, then shrugged it off. She thought she was probably hearing things. "Even as they sat and stood, as if suddenly frozen, it was answered by another cry…" Suddenly there was a loud, piercing cry that struck fear in the two girls' hearts. Kay looked at her friend, wide-eyed, and saw the same expression on her face.

"Please tell me you heard that." Sara said. Kay nodded her head slowly.

"Uh-huh." She said nervously. Kay got up and looked out the window of Sara's room, but everything seemed normal. Sara put down the book and walked over toward her door, but when she opened it and stepped out, there was no flooring beneath her. She let out a scream as she fell, but Kay rushed toward her and grabbed her hand. Sara looked up at her friend, but Kay was slipping from her perch, losing her grip, and fast.

"I'm not letting go!" Kay said, still slipping. She was halfway out now, and if she slipped any more then she'd fall.

"You have to! If you don't then we're both gone!" Sara argued. Before Kay could say anything more, she lost her grip and the two girls fell. It was a long drop, and they landed hard on the ground. Both girls were knocked unconscious, and they knew no more.


	3. Chapter 2

Hello to all who read this, I am the Shadow. Thank you for the reviews, those of you who sent them. To answer a question, yes this will be based on the book, mainly… I may leave a few parts out simply because IF I don't, the story might get a bit too long. Some of the appearances I might use from the characters of the movie, but there's no harm in that, I hope. And a reminder, the only characters I created for this are Sara and Kay. I own them (in a sense). I do NOT own anything in Tolkien's world. Thank you. Anywho, on with the second chapter!

When she next awoke, Sara opened her eyes and suddenly sat up, but had to lie back down again because of the pain shooting through her body. Her head was throbbing. She groaned and turned her head to look for Kay. After a moment she saw her, lying about three feet away. She was still unconscious. Sara sighed. _I guess that fall was longer than I thought… What did we fall from anyway? And how long have I been out?_ She thought to herself. She sat back up again, this time more slowly, and looked around. She didn't recognize anything around her. She heard someone groan, and looked over at Kay. Kay rolled over on her back and opened her eyes.

"Sara? Where are we?" She asked, trying to sit up. Sara was worried.

"I don't know, Kay. I honestly don't know…" She said, her voice trailing off at the end. Sara made an attempt to stand up, and she had to steady herself against a tree. When she finally stood, she leaned against the tree and looked down at Kay.

"Anything broken?" Kay shook her head.

"No. I don't think so at least… How about you?"

"No. I think I may have bruised a couple bones, but nothing broken. I wonder how far we fell…" Sara said, looking up at the tree.

"And from what, dare I ask?" Kay said, getting herself to a sitting position. She had leaves tangled in her mess of brown curls, and Sara couldn't help but chuckle, despite their present situation. She had regained her balance, for the most part, and now walked over toward her friend.

"I can't answer that either, I'm afraid. But maybe if we walk along the road a little, we'll run into someone who can help us." Sara was always quite optimistic, which Kay found somewhat annoying at times. "Can you walk?" Sara asked bluntly. Kay tried to stand up, but needed a little help from Sara.

"Thanks. I'm not sure how long I can stay this way, though."

"That's ok. We can rest every now and again if we have to." Sara started to walk, helping Kay as she went. They followed a very wooded path for a long while, not truly knowing in which direction they were headed. After about two miles of walking, Kay's legs had had enough. She collapsed, taking Sara down with her. Sara got back to her feet, but Kay couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Sara. I can't walk." Kay apologized even though this really wasn't her fault. Sara knelt down next to her friend.

"It's alright. You're hurt, and I can't push you." Sara said kindly. Kay smiled a little. In the silence, Sara could hear the sound of running water. Far off it was, but she took it as a comfort. "There's water near here, I can hear it. Maybe I can help you over the hill, and we can rest near the bank. It sounds like a stream." She said hopefully. Kay was a bit reluctant, but Sara helped her up. After a few failed attempts, the girls finally got over the hill, and Sara could see the river. She sat Kay down near the water's edge and flopped down on the grass next to her. It was starting to get dark, and she didn't really want to be in a strange place for longer than she had to; especially at night. After a moment, they heard the sound of horse's hooves. Sara looked up and saw five people. Men she thought, but they appeared to be no more than children! One of them was speaking, and she listened to what was said.

"Tom will give you good advice, till this day is over. Four miles along the Road, you'll come upon a village…" Before Sara could hear anything more, Kay tugged at her shirt.

"Sara, what's he saying?"

"There's a village near here. About four miles on… I don't think we can make it that far…" Sara thought aloud. She turned her head to listen to the man again.

"There you can stay the night, and afterwards the morning will speed you upon your way." Sara didn't bother to listen any more. She turned back to Kay as she heard one of the riders ride away.

"There's a place to stay in the village. Maybe there's someone there who can tell us where we are. But with you in your condition, we won't make it very far…" Sara said. Kay bit her lip.

"Go on ahead then. You're much faster than I am and you'll make it there in half the time. I'll stay here. You can come back for me later." Kay suggested. Sara shook her head.

"Bad idea. This is a place we don't know, and I don't feel comfortable leaving you by yourself." Before Kay could protest, the company behind them was talking amongst themselves, and Sara listened in.

"I am sorry to take leave of Master Bombadil." said one of them. Sara was surprised a bit. She'd heard that name before, but where? She puzzled for a few moments, not even hearing what the man said next. She completely zoned out until another spoke.

"Please remember -all of you- that the name of Baggins must NOT be mentioned. I am Mr. Underhill, if any name must be given." Another said. Sara puzzled over this for a moment more until she came to a sudden realization.

"Bombadil… Baggins… Underhill…" She looked up at her friend, wide-eyed. "Kay… We're in Middle Earth! In the Shire!" Kay's eyes widened. They hadn't just been thrown out of their world. They were thrown into the book!

As it is said, to be continued! Haha!


	4. Chapter 3

Hello again! Shadow here. I just want to get something straight right now. Sara DOES fall for a member of the fellowship, but it is NOT Legolas! (or Aragorn, for that matter) I've already had a few people e-mail me about this, and they've accused me of Mary-Sueishness. For those who have said so, think what you like, but I'm not heading in that direction. Thank you.

As an answer to another e-mail question, I'm not going to use Westron translations (like the hobbits' real names and such) at all in this. Reason being that it would be too time consuming and that I'd actually have to use my brain to do so. Yes, I am lazy. Deal with it.

Kay's eyes widened with incredulity at her friend's statement. Her breathing quickened and the world seemed to swim around her.

"No. This is impossible. We can't be here." Kay said. Sara put her hands firmly on Kay's shoulders in an attempt to calm her.

"Kay, calm down. We are here, and we can't do anything about that." Sara said. Before she could say anything more, Kay started babbling on.

"No! This is a dream! We fell out of your room for Christ's sake! This has to be a dream!" The rest of Kay's speech was inane babble, hardly understood. Sara shook her head. It was hopeless to try and calm her now. After a moment, she heard horses coming towards them, and saw the four hobbits stop and look down at them. Their faces showed both astonishment and confusion.

"Pardon my rudeness, but what is the matter?" One of them said. He had curly, dark brown hair and laughing blue eyes. _Frodo._ Sara thought. She had to think up an answer.

"My friend is… uhh… err… Well, she's hurt, and cursing because she's in so much pain. She can't even walk." She said before shooting a glance at Kay. Frodo shook his head.

"Well, Bree isn't very far from here. You could probably get help there. Do you know the way?" Sara shook her head.

"No. I'm afraid we're not from around here…" Sara said, brushing a lock of hair behind her ears. Frodo saw them and his eyes widened.

"Well, I'd say not. Did you get separated from the others?" Sara looked puzzled.

"Others?" She asked. There were others here?

"The other elves. They passed through here. Although, guessing by your attire, I'm guessing you weren't with them either." Frodo said, shaking his head. Sara looked at herself and realized both hers and Kay's attire would seem a little odd to them. Jeans and tank tops probably weren't around back then. Sara sighed.

"May we accompany you? At least as far as Bree?" Frodo seemed to be considering it, but one of the hobbits next to him looked uneasy.

"I'm not so sure if that's a good idea, Mr. Frodo. We don't know who they are." He said. Sara guessed he was trying to whisper, but he did a poor job at it.

"Sam, they're obviously two lost girls. I don't see much harm in them coming with us as far as Bree." He said, smiling a little. One of the other hobbits hopped off his horse and walked over to Sara and Kay.

"Here. She can ride my horse." He said. Kay's face went pale. She had never ridden a horse before, and was deathly afraid of them. Sara was about to say something, but held her tongue. This was the only mode of transportation. She helped the hobbit, whom she assumed to be Pippin, get Kay up into the saddle. She was stiff as a board, and trembling, but she managed to stay on as the horse moved forward. Sara walked beside her to reassure her, grinning. Kay made a face.

"I _will_ get you for this, Sara. Soon enough everyone's gonna figure out _your_ worst fear." Kay said, smirking. Sara's grin vanished and her face went pale. She looked forward and kept walking, saying nothing. She looked at the river, rushing and churning beside them and shuddered. She was _not_ looking forward to that. It was slow going it seemed; going slowly uphill and then down again, and darkness came quickly. They walked in silence until they saw twinkling lights from the village. Sara looked up at a half-asleep Kay, wide-eyed. They were actually going toward Bree. Sara shook Kay a bit until she finally looked up, glancing at the village and sighing. Their pace quickened a bit, for the other hobbits wanted to get there as fast as they could possibly manage.

The next few chapters might not come for a little while. I'm very sorry it took so long to get this one up, but schoolwork has been interfering, as it always does. I'll try to get these done as fast as I can, but this is definitely a work in progress. It may take a while to get through the WHOLE story, as I plan to do. So for those of you who truly enjoy this fanfic enough to want to keep reading, le hannon and I'll keep working at it.


	5. Chapter 4

Hello again! I'm very sorry it took so long to get this up, but like I said before, school and life have been getting in the way. I've actually had this chapter done for a while, but I haven't been able to post it until now. I'm almost done with chapter 5, and I'll get that posted as soon as possible. Le hannon!

The hobbits were now inside the Prancing Pony, and Kay and Sara were off to the side, trying as hard as they could to go unnoticed. After the strange look the gatekeeper had given Sara, she thought it best to just lay low.

"I find it quite strange that an elf be wandering around alone so late at night. And wandering with hobbits! Why, the very thought of it boggles my mind. But, I'm in no place to judge. Carry on." He had said. He gave her a warning glare, it seemed like, and that made Sara shiver. Now that they were off to the side in the inn, Sara and Kay could talk quietly.

"Sara, I still refuse to believe that any of this is real. I probably fell asleep while you were reading, or something. I mean, honestly! Falling out of your room? Preposterous if you ask me! This has to be a dream!" She grumbled. She had a hot mug of tea in her hand and was sipping slowly from it. Sara shook her head.

"You're starting to sound like a broken record, Kay. You feel the warmth from your mug? You wouldn't be able to feel anything if this were a dream. It's hard for me to believe too, but you don't see me parading around, grumbling all the time! People are going to start thinking we're crazy! We're going to need help if we're going to get out of here." Sara snapped at Kay, even though she didn't mean to. Kay rolled her eyes.

"And how are we supposed to explain this?! 'Oh hi, I fell out of my world into this one. Do you have a bloody time-machine lying around anywhere?!' That's going to be productive!" Kay snapped back. Sara sighed and shook her head.

"This won't be easy to explain, I know. But we have to do something. If we don't, we could be stuck here." Sara said sadly. Kay's eyes drifted down to her lap.

"I know. It just doesn't seem possible that this could happen. And what would our involvement do to the story? You're right. We have to find a way back. Staying here could jeopardize the entire war." Kay said, finishing off her mug and groaning a bit. The pain in her legs had dulled, but it was still there. If she walked for too long it would come back, and she knew it. Sara looked around the room, seeing how many people could be within earshot. There was a din of voices, so she figured it might be safe to say things that she wouldn't want anyone other than Kay to hear. She still kept her voice low.

"Well, we heard the cry. Even if it was from my room, we heard the cry of the Nazgul. And it had sounded close, which frightens me even more." As she said the word Nazgul, the room seemed to get quieter. An uneasiness settled over the crowd, and Sara instantly felt a sense of foreboding. All eyes seemed pinned on her. She turned her head ever so slightly to see a dark figure that had been sitting in a corner was now staring at her. His hood was up, so she could not see his face, but she could feel his eyes piercing her soul. She started shaking, though exactly why she did not know…

Strider looked at this oddly dressed girl, his eyes sharp. Had she just said…? No. She couldn't have. Could she? He puffed a smoke ring from his pipe, pondering the thought. Clearly these two women were not regular habitants. He could tell that just by the way they looked. But to speak of the Nine openly? That was suicide in itself, no matter where you hailed from. Clearly she felt his gaze, for she started trembling, so he looked away, not wishing to disturb her more. He soon noticed one of the hobbits made an inconspicuous gesture toward him, and old Butterbur looked quickly at him, and then back at the hobbit. His voice was low, so Strider assumed he was speaking of him. He kept a close eye on this hobbit. Hadn't Gandalf said something of importance about one hobbit in particular? A Mr. Underhill he was to be called. Was this him? He saw that the hobbit was now looking at him. _Well, now or never…_ He thought. With a wave of his hand he beckoned the hobbit over to him…

As Sara felt his gaze leave her and the noise level of the room returned to normal, she let out a breath she realized she'd been holding. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Sara? What's wrong?" Kay asked, a little concerned.

"I think I need to be more careful in my choice of words." Sara said, her voice shaky. "Our knowledge might frighten certain people, so we have to be careful of what we say. This isn't good, Kay. I… Something doesn't feel right." Sara said, her eyes darting around. Kay put her hand comfortingly on Sara's shoulder, though it didn't help much.

"Nothing is going to feel right. These times are completely different from our own. You have to remember that this happened ages ago." Before Kay could say much more, the room seemed to hush again. Her heart seemed to stop suddenly as she held her breath. Had they heard what she said? Pippin was talking enthusiastically about something, but then they heard Frodo attempting to get on top of a table and start speaking. Kay breathed a sigh of relief. None had heard, luckily. Suddenly shouts were heard from the many hobbits in the crowded room.

"A song! A song!" They cried. Sara and Kay looked at each other, clearly amused by what was taking place. As Frodo started to sing, they ran over the lyrics in their minds. They grinned broadly, proud of themselves for remembering every word. People had often questioned them about this in their own times, but they merely claimed that they were not obsessed. Nope. Nuh-uh. After Frodo had finished, there were shouts to hear it again. When he started up again, Kay and Sara were grinning and giggling.

"Ah, hobbits are funny." Sara said at the end of her fit.

"Wait for it…" Kay said expectantly. Suddenly a huge crash was heard as Frodo landed on a tray of mugs and fell off the table. Sara and Kay broke into hysterics like the rest of the crowd, only when Frodo hit the ground, he wasn't there. The two girls looked at each other, wide eyed.

"Oh no. He put on the ring!" Kay whispered, trying to keep her voice low…

Strider had been a little shocked when the hobbit disappeared like that, but his face didn't show it. But when he heard this woman speak of the ring, his wariness of them only grew. _They know of the One as well? _His gaze on them grew harder. These two were beginning to give him a very bad feeling. Suddenly Frodo reappeared under a table next to him…

Sara glanced over at Strider. She could feel his gaze on them again, only sharper now than before. She looked back at Kay and gave her a glare. Kay's eyes fell to her feet, clearly apologizing. As Frodo made his own apologies to Butterbur, Sara turned to Kay.

"What were you thinking? We can't speak of anything that we know! Now he probably thinks we're spies or something of the like!" Sara reprimanded her. Kay's eyes started to fill with tears.

"I'm sorry, ok? I didn't mean to, it just slipped!" She said. Sara sighed and shook her head.

"Alright. We just have to be more careful of what we say from now on. We don't know how long we're going to be here, but I'd like to get out alive, frankly." Sara said, smiling sadly. The two girls stood from their chairs and Sara put an arm under Kay's shoulders to steady her. She had spoken to Butterbur earlier in the evening, asking him what they were to do. They had no money, so they could not pay him for a room for the night. Luckily, he understood.

"Now, now, that's alright. I have a few spare rooms, and you can take one of them for the night." He had said.

"Le hannon!" She had thanked him graciously, the Sindarin just slipping out. It didn't surprise Butterbur one bit. You see, many of the residents thought Sara to be an elf, for her demeanor and build suggested it. Sara herself hadn't even considered it, save the times when Kay would mention it. They were now headed toward the room that Butterbur had suggested, and once inside, Sara helped Kay sit down on one of the beds.

"I'm going to see if there is a latrine anywhere. I know they wouldn't have bathrooms." Sara said, jokingly. She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. She hadn't walked more than a few yards when she ran into someone coming around the corner, knocking her down.

"Oomph! Terribly sorry. I wasn't…" She stopped short in her sentence as she looked up to see who it was. Her eyes were wide. "Aragorn." The name slipped almost silently from her mouth. As soon as she realized what she'd said, she clapped her hand over it. Strider looked down at this girl, sharply.

"That's three things you and your friend have spoken of. Things that are only known within a few groups of people. Who are you and where do you come from?" His voice was hard. Sara was too stunned to speak, and yet she was mentally kicking herself for letting _that_ little bit of information slip out. She started shaking again, trying to think of an answer.

Ha! Well, maybe Sara needs to learn to take her own advice. I think I may have made Strider a bit too harsh, though. He probably wouldn't have snapped at her like that… But anyway, to be continued!


	6. Chapter 5

"Well?!" Strider said harshly. Sara was still too stunned to speak. What could she say? She merely looked down at her lap, still shaking.

"I… I…" She tried. Suddenly Kay appeared at the door to their room.

"Sara, is everything…" She stopped in mid-sentence as she saw Strider standing over her. Her eyes widened as he looked up at her sharply.

"I don't know what you two are up to, but I think it best if you come with me." He said, softly yet in a cold manner at the same time. He turned to walk back around the corner, expecting them to follow. Kay tried to run over to Sara to help her, but she was already starting to her feet.

"Don't run, Kay. I'm fine." Sara said, her voice filled with guilt. She had snapped at Kay for letting something slip before, and now Sara had let something even _bigger_ slip out. This was definitely not going to end well. The two walked around the corner and saw Strider standing in the doorway, waiting for them. His gaze on them never softened as they walked into the room past him, like dogs with their tails between their legs. They kept their heads down, not wishing to look him in the eyes. A voice sprung up out of nowhere.

"Well hallo! It's those girls from the forest!" Sara guessed that it was Pippin that had said it. Strider's gaze drifted from Pippin, to the girls, then back to Pippin again.

"You know these two?" He asked, almost hesitantly. Pippin replied enthusiastically.

"Sure! We helped them get to Bree. One of them had a bad leg." Strider looked over to the two girls, and Sara made a gesture towards Kay. Her eyes seemed to brim with tears; she knew they were in trouble now. Strider just sighed and shook his head.

"Alright. Forgive me for reprimanding you so harshly. In times such as these, certain things cannot be spoken of freely. Namely the three things you have spoken of tonight. I have a feeling that you two are not from around here. Am I correct?" He asked, a bit more gently than before.

"Yes. We…" Sara hesitated for a minute before turning to Kay. Kay had to con up and answer, and fast.

"We come from elsewhere. We had gotten lost, and I climbed up a tree to see where we were headed, and I fell before I reached the top. It was my own mistake." She said quickly. Sara nodded as Strider looked at her.

"And where is elsewhere?" He asked. Sara and Kay looked at each other. NO WAY could they tell him the answer to that without lying again. The girls started to panic, but before they had to say anything, Merry came through the door, looking as if he'd seen a ghost. Nob followed rather quickly, and both were out of breath. While they explained what they had seen to Strider and the others, Kay finally got a good look at Sara. Her face was paler than normal, and a few tears had started to run down her cheeks. A huge fear had come over both of their hearts, as well as a sudden realization. _They_ were here. Or at least had come within Bree. Kay put her arms around Sara in an embrace as she started to tremble uncontrollably. They didn't even notice the others were now focused on them, speaking in low voices.

"The young elleth isn't used to their presence, I'll wager. Help me get them sat down, or they'll faint." Strider said. Once they sat, Sara was still in a bit of shock. More tears came now, and her face became grim. Suddenly a shrill cry was heard, and Sara cringed and covered her ears. Strider quickly knelt down and put his hands on her shoulders. She opened her eyes and he looked deep into them, searching her soul for what was ailing her.

"It is the darkness that she fears. An elleth of her age, though, I'm not surprised. Is she like this whenever the Nine are present?" He turned to Kay. She didn't know how to answer that.

"I'm not sure. We've never been around them before." She said, her voice shaky. This was one of the first truths they'd told him. He stood back up as Sara started to calm down.

"You followed us here, didn't you? You had heard what was said at the Road west of here." Sara said grimly. Strider's brow furrowed in surprise, but it vanished as quickly as it had come.

"Aye, I did. I did not think I had been heard, but I guess I can never fool the ears of an elf. Or was it my smell that gave me away?" Strider joked. Sara's eyes widened a bit. Had he heard anything else than what the hobbits had said?

"We were the two the hobbits stopped to see. They were concerned for us." Kay said. Strider's smile faded a bit.

"Yes, I heard you two talking. It was said that this was strange territory for you both, which I found quite odd. Not necessarily for the elleth, but for you, mistress hobbit. Unless you come from somewhere outside of the Shire?" He quizzically raised an eyebrow. Kay's eyes widened in shock. What had he called them? Nob had left the room earlier at a command from Strider, and now he returned.

"I've ruffled up the clothes and put in a bolster down the middle of each bed. And I made a nice imitation of your head with a brown woolen mat, Mr. Bag… Underhill, sir." Nob said with a grin. As the others prepared themselves for bed, Sara helped Kay to stand.

"I think it better that you stay within my sight, ladies." Strider said after he stoked up the fire. "You'll be traveling with us tomorrow. If your leg doesn't feel up to it, then you can ride one of the ponies." He said to Kay. She cringed, but nodded.

"Le hannon, Strider." Sara cut in. He looked at her quizzically. He didn't remember ever telling them his name.

"You are welcome, but I feel it most odd not knowing your names." He looked at them expectantly. The girls exchanged a brief glance before Kay turned to face him.

"I am Kayla… Kayla Proudfoot." She said. Sara thought for a second.

"I'm Sar…" She stopped a second. They thought she was an elf, but Sara wouldn't have sounded right at all. "Serenity." She said. Strider nodded in approval. She then feared that he would ask her where she hailed from again, but he didn't pursue the issue, luckily. The hobbits were laying in a row near the hearth and Strider sat in a chair next to the door. The girls laid down on a bed that was in the room since no one else was offering to take it. They found it hard to sleep, Sara especially. After a few hours, Kay sighed.

"Are you going to be alright, Sara? The next time?" She whispered, keeping her voice low. She figured everyone else might have been asleep.

"I don't know. I just froze. I never expected that, I'm sorry. I'm going to warn you now, if they do come around again I might freeze. My heart felt like it stopped beating, and the breath was stolen from my chest. Their evil is so strong." She said. Kay put her hand on her friend's shoulder. She smiled, but then grimaced. Sara's countenance changed to concerned. Kay grabbed her heart, gripping her chest tightly. It rose and fell violently, and Strider saw this.

"Is she alright?" He asked. Sara stood and backed up a bit, frightened. She had only seen her like this once, and that was when she'd had a horrible asthma attack. Strider quickly crossed the room to her, and took hold of Kay's hand. This was bad. Kay wasn't making a sound, but her body convulsed. Strider was quite alarmed.

"What is happening to her?" He asked Sara. He'd never seen this before.

"She's only been like this once, but the last time it happened was years ago." She began searching her own pockets as well as Kay's. Her inhaler was in Sara's room! She'd have to do it the old fashioned way. She grabbed Kay's hand and squeezed it a bit, putting her other hand on Kay's forehead and speaking softly.

"Kay… Calm yourself." She said. Kay's convulsions ceased, but her chest was still moving violently. Sara turned to Strider. "Do you have water?" As he went to get it, she sat down on the bed next to Kay and sat her up. She put Kay's hand on her own chest, breathing steadily. Strider came back with the water.

"Here. What is wrong with her?" He handed it to her and Sara took a small pill bottle out of her pocket.

"She's having a panic attack. They come so suddenly, and the slightest anxiety can cause them. It causes her asthma to flare up, and that only makes it worse. If it continues for too long, then she'll die." She took a small blue pill out of the bottle and put it in Kay's mouth, forcing her to swallow it with some water. She started taking deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly at a controlled pace. "Follow me, Kay. Breathe slowly." She said. Kay's breaths were choppy, but she started to come around. After a minute or two, she calmed down to a normal level. She slipped off to sleep and Strider went back to his chair. He looked back over at Sara, shaking his head.

"You can truly work wonders, Lady Serenity." He said. Sara hadn't even heard what he said. She was too focused on keeping her friend from coming close to death again.

Well, this chapter was certainly interesting. I got some of the events out of order though, and I realized that after I went back to the book and re-read it. (begs for mercy) Hehe… If you're wondering about Kay's little panic attack, I have seen it happen and had to help my friend calm down, and that's pretty much what I did. Luckily she had her medicine with her, but it was still hard to get her calmed down. I made it sound easy in this story, but in reality it isn't quite that simple. Anyway, thank you for reading this fanfic, those still faithful to it. I'll keep working at it, but I might not be able to post for a while, with finals coming up this next week. I won't have homework, but I'll be stuck studying all day. (grumbles at Chemistry and English finals) hehe


	7. Chapter 6

"_Awake! Fear! Fire! Foes! Awake!"_ A thin voice cried, hissing and sinister. Sara started to toss and turn. Images of black riders invaded her mind.

"_Fear! Fire! Foes!"_ It hissed again. Sara began to groan. She couldn't wake up!

"_Awake! Awake!"_ Sara sat up abruptly, breathing hard. She looked around the room, lit by the fire. Strider was alert in his chair, but she noticed Frodo sitting up as well. They exchanged a glance; nothing needed to be said. The same thing happened to him. Sara laid back down, seeing Kay lying asleep next to her, breathing steadily. She drifted off to sleep again, but it was sporadic.

The next morning, the girls woke to a dull gray light coming in through the open window. The air had a chill to it, and Sara wrapped the blanket tighter around her, shivering. A halter top wasn't much protection from icy air. She looked around the room and Strider was rousing the hobbits. As they sat up and stretched, Strider looked over at Sara.

"I'll see about getting you two some shirts and cloaks. It's going to be cold, the way we're going." He said, leaving the room. Sara turned over and shook Kay.

"Kay, we're going to leave soon." She said before coming out from under the blanket and standing. The cold hit her like a hammer and took her breath away. Kay groaned.

"It's so cold though." She said, rubbing her eyes. Sara nodded.

"I know, but Strider is going to get us shirts. We'll be fine." She said, even though her heart told her something wasn't right. She tried desperately to remember what happened next. Strider re-entered the room, carrying two shirts and two cloaks. He set them on the end of the bed before beckoning the hobbits out. Sara kept her halter top on while she put on the dark blue shirt. It was thick, although a bit worn, but at that point she didn't care. At least it was something to put over her bare shoulders. Kay adorned the purple one. The longer of the two cloaks was given to Sara, and the girls exited the room. They went down the hall and into the main room of the inn. There, they saw Strider talking with Butterbur.

"Never has such a thing happened in my time! Guests unable to sleep in their beds, and good bolsters ruined and all! What are we coming to?" He cried. Before Strider could say anything, Sara cut him off.

"Dark times." She said. Kay elbowed her in the ribs, so she said nothing more.

"Aye. As the elleth has said. But for the present, you may be left in peace, when you have got rid of us." He said. Sara turned to walk away as he said something about breakfast, and Kay followed.

"We shouldn't intervene! Do you have any idea what it could do to the timeline?!" Kay whispered. Sara sighed.

"I know… I don't know why I said that…" She said. Her heart began to ache. There was something wrong. What was supposed to happen next? The girls didn't realize where they were walking, and soon enough they ended up at the stables. The doors were all broken and they were completely empty. Kay's eyes widened.

"The horses!" She said. Sara's heart sank. Of course! They lost the horses and would have to continue on foot. The others stood behind them, and Frodo looked on in utter dismay.

"How could we hope to reach Rivendell on foot, pursued by mounted enemies?" He thought aloud. Strider shook his head.

"Ponies would not help us to escape horsemen..." He started to say. Kay and Sara tuned out the rest of the conversation.

"Right... They'll set out on foot, and then reach Weathertop..." Kay started. Sara cut her off.

"We'd run into _them_ again, and who knows what'll happen to the two of us. If I freeze up again, I'll be worse than useless to the rest of them." Sara chose her words carefully as to not attract the attention of Strider.

"Right. And if I have another attack and you're helpless, then we'd both be as good as dead."

"So it's settled then. We'll remain here in Bree-land until we can figure out a way to get home." Sara said, sighing. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"No, young elleth. The enemy has caught your scent, as well as your hobbit friend's. You would be safer within the valleys of Imladris under the protection of Lord Elrond." Strider said, trying to convince them.

"We do not want to be a burden to you..." Kay tried. Strider cut her off.

"You will not be. Call it what you will, but I do not believe my conscience could ever rest if I left an elleth and her companion behind when I could have led them to safety." He said with a grin. As if to say 'that's that; don't argue', he nodded and walked over to Butterbur to inquire if there were any other ponies in Bree. Sara sighed.

"I guess there's no getting around it." Kay said, shrugging. Sara shook her head.

"But what about your leg? You can't walk for too long without injuring it again." Just as she said this, one of the hobbits tugged on the leg of Sara's jeans.

"I have a cane she can use." Sara looked down into the smiling eyes of Pippin. Sara smiled.

"Hannon le, Pippin." Sara said, the Sindarin slipping out again. As Pippin ran off to get it, she realized what she'd said. Dumbfounded, she turned to Kay, who merely shrugged. She didn't question it further, for soon Bob came back with a terribly bony and underfed pony.

"Seems old Bill Ferny came through..." Kay mused. Sara smacked her forehead, leading her back into the inn.

Some time later, while the hobbits were repacking, the two girls were walking around inside the inn. Strider had mentioned earlier that he'd wanted to leave unnoticed, and it would be best for them to remain inside until it was time to go. Kay was getting used to the crutch Pippin had so graciously let her borrow, and she was immensely relieved that it took so much pressure off her injured leg. Both were silent, deep in thought. Eventually, Sara broke the silence.

"You know, now that I think about it... We would be better off in Rivendell. We can explain our situation to Elrond."

"This isn't exactly a common occurrence, Sara..." Kay said, shaking her head.

"I know that... But maybe he can help us to get home. Either he or Gandalf should be able to come up with something." Sara tried to prove her point. Kay only sighed.

"I'm not sure either of them can help us. In the end, I think the only ones who can help us are ourselves." Kay said, sadly. They continued to walk on in silence until Sara laughed slightly.

"When we get home, the guild will be so jealous..." She said, laughing a bit louder. Kay had to laugh as well. They couldn't contain themselves.

"Oh, they'd piss themselves if they ever found out we met the real fellowship of the ring." Kay said. Soon both girls were laughing until their stomachs ached. They reached the inn's dining room again, smiling. Strider and the other hobbits were standing by the door now, getting ready to leave.

"I hope we shall meet again some day, when things are merry once more." Frodo was saying farewell to Butterbur. As they left the inn, Strider led them on the main road out of Bree with he and Frodo in the lead, followed by Merry and Pippin. Sara and Kay walked behind them, and Sam brought up the rear with Bill the Pony. Some unkind things were shouted at them, coupling with the ominous glares they received, and overall the party was downhearted and anxious. Most people beheld Strider in awe, but when they saw Sara, whispers of amazement and wonder spread throughout the crowd. What was an elf doing so far from home, and separated from the others? Sara heard a few comments about beauty and turned beet red, wanting to just melt into the very ground they walked on. However, she was relieved as they passed Bill Ferny's yard. Some unpleasantries were exchanged between him and Samwise, but the two girls paid no attention to it. Soon they passed out of the village, following the road that led off towards the north.

"This is where we leave the open and take to cover." Strider said. Pippin winced.

"Not a short cut, I hope. Our last short cut through woods nearly ended in disaster." Strider only laughed.

"Ah, but you hadn't got me with you then. My cuts, short or long, never go wrong." He said, leading them on. Sara and Kay looked at each other, not saying a word. As Strider led them down towards the wooded valley, the road seemed to go on endlessly. Sara merely smirked before looking at Kay, who was smirking as well. Sara began to hum the tune, her grin growing wider.

"...Pursuing it with eager feet until it joins some larger way..." Kay joined in with the words. Sara stopped humming and joined her friend in singing.

"Where many paths and errands meet... And whither then? I cannot say."

Hello again! I know it's been a while, and I apologize endlessly for it... I was actually rather surprised to learn that people were still reading this! Now that my muse has come back and kicked me in the face, I should be working on this more frequently. I've got tons of ideas for all the trouble Kay and Sara will get themselves into! Haha! It's given me a bit more hope to know that people like this fanfic and want to figure out what happens next. Well, you know where to find me. This is Shadow signing out!


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